Consul General Zheng Xiyuan Meets with Business Investment Specialist of Sheffield

2018-09-12

On Sept. 11, 2018, Mr. Zheng Xiyuan, Consul General of the ConsulateGeneral of the People's Republic of China in Manchester, met Mr. Mozher Iqbal, business investment specialist of Sheffield at the City Hall.

Mr. Zheng said that Sheffield had played an important role in the history of Chinese modern industry. Wu Jian, the first Chinese chief engineer of Hanyang Iron Plantestablished by Zhang Zhidong, governor of Hubei and Hunan in the late Qing dynasty, graduated from the University of Sheffield. The 8000-horsepower steam engine imported from Sheffield DAVY Brothers in 1906 is still carefully kept in Chongqing Steel Plant. Zheng pointed out that the Northern Powerhouse perfectly fits the concepts of One Belt and One Road initiative. The two countries have broad space for cooperation in industrial restructuring, infrastructure construction and the shaping of new economic forms. He said that there are about 10,000 Chinese students in the Sheffield area and they will be important talent resources in shaping future China-UK relationship. Student's safety is the priority of the Consulate-general, Zheng said. He hoped to work closely with the Sheffield government to have more rich and concrete outcomes for the "golden age" between the two countries. Zheng also introduced the trade and investment environment of Chengdu, and hoped that more achievements will be made between the two cities.

Mr. Iqbal said that Sheffield is rich in educational resources. He emphasized that the government is very supportive of the Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield, and is willing to take this as a platform to promote active and creative cultural exchange, and to involve more local enterprises, communities and young people in the friendship endeavour between China and the UK. He said that he was amazed by recent achievements in Chengdu and Sheffield values their cooperation. He also said that Sheffield would further promote collaboration to open a new chapter between the two cities in the new era of China-UK relationship.